Wilting
by squirrelthe13th
Summary: Orchid Lise is going into the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games, along with Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. And she's quickly learning that sometimes things...and people... are not what they seem. Rated T because it's the Hunger Games.


**squirrelthe13th here! **

_And Imogene._ _  
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**...Unfortunately. Anyways, this is a Hunger Games story about a girl. I don't own The Hunger Games, I own Miss Lise and the plot.** **  
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_You guys should be happy she doesn't own The Hunger Games. She's really sad because she had to get this out before updating her other stories. But she could use some constructive criticism! Just no haters... or I'll kill you._ _  
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**O.O  
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Twelve years old was not a cause of celebration. It was basically your death sentence.

Mine was stated just a week and a half ago. All it meant to me was more praying than usual that night.

The Reaping day first made its appearance to me as sunlight crashing through the window. I could hear Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch, all downstairs, so I rolled over, knowing that if they were up, than I should be, too.

I had changed into my Reaping clothes, the reason they make us dress so lovely I have no idea, because one of these nicely dressed children is going to die in the next 3 weeks. Anyways, it was a soft white blouse and tan skirt that had belonged to my mother. My uncle says she looked just like me.

By the time I was downstairs, I could see that there was no one sitting at the table, and so instead of wading through the trash Haymitch had left on the floor, I swung my leg over the windowsill of the lower floor and dropped to the ground.

By the time the blood had dried on my fingertip, Effie Trinket, our District escort, had just announced something incredible.

"Yes, yes, there will be much more excitement in this year's games! Four tributes will be selected to have the honor of being in the Quarter Quell!"

Four? That's impossible! But it clearly was, because Effie had just announced it to the whole District.

"Let's start with the boys, hmm?" Effie squealed. Yes, she was having _way_ too much fun with this.

"Gale Hawthorne!"

I glanced in the direction of the movement just as a boy step out of the group of eighteen year olds. He had dark hair and grey eyes. A spark illuminated my foggy, numb mind. This Gale was Katniss's so called "cousin."

"And joining him will be Peeta Mellark!"

I felt the ripple go through the people as one of the two victors of the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games stepped out of the crowd.

Before I could comprehend what had happened, Effie's voice called out another familiar name:

"Katniss Everdeen!"

The Girl on Fire and the Boy with the Bread were going back into the arena, along with this strong-looking eighteen year old. I pitied whoever the other girl was. She wouldn't stand a chance.

The tributes were all shocking, but the last one was the most shocking of all.

"The last tribute to go into the third Quarter Quell is… Orchid Lise!"

As my name thundered out into the air, I felt my blood run cold, and my heart stop. I could feel all the eyes in my back and my legs unconsciously moving. I was twelve! Twelve, twelve, twelve, twelve…

I was on stage before I fully processed it. I was going to my deathbed.

"Ladies and gentleman, the tributes of the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games!"

Uncle Haymitch walks in, looks at me, and taps the side of his mouth. I pretend to wipe away a smudge while he talks to the older children beside me. There is no smudge. The action he just used is our code word for; "We'll talk about this later."

I look at Katniss up close for the first time. I can see why her stylist put her on as 'The Girl on Fire.' She fits the part. She's downright scary.

I don't like Gale too much either, but Peeta just seems to strike me as a little kinder. But I decide that if I want to stay alive, I should avoid all three, just to be on the safe side.

Katniss turned to look at me, very suddenly. Her grey eyes that stared into my brown orbs almost hurt. They were like steel, while mine were just a dark, creamy kind of brown.

Dinner was not too fun. It was deathly hot, and sweat was trickling into my mother's blouse. I got up from the table, not saying a word, and walked around the train until I came to a bedroom listed as Tribute Girl Number Two. I opened the door and found myself in a room beyond anything I had ever seen.

It looked amazing. But I didn't have time to gawk; I had to save my mother's clothes. I took them off and folded them, then laid them on the bed. I stroked them fondly before turning my attention to another outfit. I didn't want anyone to walk in on me in my undergarments. I pulled on a breathable but not quite see-through white dress with thin white straps as sleeves. I twirled around and it flared out. It was beautiful.

I sat on the bed and was wondering how they made the sheets smell of lavender when I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," I said, facing the door. An Avox walked in and carried a platter of food. She smiled and made a twirling motion to show me that she wanted me to spin. I did, and she smiled and gestured that I looked pretty in the dress.

"Thank you." I said, grateful. I looked at the huge platter of food before me. I couldn't possibly eat it all.

"Do you want some?" I asked. She just stared at me, her eyes wide.

"Go on, take some." She made her thanks clear and took some assorted treats and rushed out of the room. I just nibbled on the rich food.

It turns out I had fallen asleep right there, because I woke up in the same clothing. I didn't bother to look at the hour, nor take a shower. I just ran soap along my body and rinsed it with water from the sink. I did the same sort of thing with my hair; towel dried myself, but didn't risk blow drying my golden locks.

Since it was still blistering and I so loved that dress from last night, I just found another.

I walked out into the hall and made my way down to the dining car. I think I scared the chef this early in the morning, but he gladly made me a five star breakfast, and he asked me what I wanted on every part of the meal.

So I sat down at the table with a cheese omelet, bacon and sausage, toast, every kind of jam there is, pancakes, waffles, and pretty much every other kind of breakfast food possible. Plus, 'a special treat', he had said, then winked, and handed me three big mugs of a thick, hot liquid that was the exact same color as my eyes.

Plus ham, and a few rolls that he brought out later.

I was about halfway through my amazingly delicious breakfast when Peeta stumbled into the room, rubbing his eyes, which nearly popped out when he saw me sitting at the table, eating.

"How early did you get up?" He questioned, sitting down next to me.

"About an hour ago. What time is it?" I replied, chomping on some bacon.

"Six." He laughed as my eyes went wide. I decided I liked his laugh. A lot. "You know, Hot chocolate is best when you dip the rolls in it." he said, and he pointed to the mug. I tried it, and I gasped. He was right! It was delicious!

"How did you get the food so early?" He asked, and I mumbled through my food; "Talked to the chef."

"Okay." He left the table, and a little while later he was back. Katniss and Gale still weren't up yet.

Eventually he went to wake up Gale, and I to Katniss, as we were both finished with our breakfast and Effie and Uncle Haymitch were waiting.

I went into Katniss's room, only to find her curled up with Gale. Peeta dashed to my side, obviously finding Gale gone.

I was scared, but then Peeta told me that sometimes he goes and holds her when she has nightmares, so I calm down. Gale must have gone instead of Peeta. So that's why Peeta looked a little mad, and maybe a little hurt.

We were just about to wake them up...

Then Peeta had a brilliant idea.

"Let's scare them!"

I bounced with excitement and voiced my agreement.

"One…" Peeta whispered.

"Two…" I chorused, my heart beating fast.

"Three." We said together, and then screamed, "WAKE UP!"

Katniss and Gale's eyes flew open and they both fell out of bed. Peeta and I were on the floor too, laughing.

Gale and Katniss were mad until they realized that we had seen them together.

"We'll keep it under the lid if you don't kill us!" Peeta said quickly.

I nodded, pulling myself up, and tucking my hands behind my back.

Peeta had forgotten that he was angry, but Gale hadn't.

He grabbed Peeta by the shirt and pressed him up against the wall.

"Gale, don't!" Katniss cried, as Gale was ready to hurt the boy up against the wall.

She was about to stop him, but I got to him first.

I was so mad at him for threatening my friend that I sprung with my tiny legs and pounced on him.

He was easily pinned, my little hands firmly planted on his chest. Well, they seemed little, or maybe he was just big.

"Let me go!" He growled, and I was terrified.

"I'm Haymitch's niece," I hissed. I couldn't believe what I was saying! "Don't underestimate me, Gale. I know a thing or two."

I let him up and walked out the door.

I was lying on my bed, thinking about what I had just said to Gale. None of it was a lie, but I had a feeling I had just made an enemy out of Gale… and maybe Katniss. This was bad. Why did I do that?

A knock came on my door.

"Come in," I called hoping it was the Avox, and not my fellow tributes.

Katniss, Gale, and Peeta walked in. Yep, the odds were definitely not in my favor.

"What can _you_ do?" Gale said icily.

"You'll have to wait until training." I felt calmer this time.

He snorted. "Told you she was lying." He said to Katniss and Peeta.

Okay, I wasn't calm any more.

I walked out the door and down the hall to where I knew my uncle would be. I felt a terrible starve to prove myself. Just beacause I was twelve didn't mean I was useless!

"Can I borrow your knife?" I asked, holding my hand out.

He saw the fire burning coldly in my eyes and knew not to argue. He handed it over.

As soon as I felt the familiar weapon I used for getting the ripe apples off the trees in the woods, I whirled around and threw the knife with such force and accuracy that it snatched a lock of Gale's dark hair and pinned it against the far wall of the hall.

It was silent until Haymitch asked;

"And when, exactly, did you learn how to do this, Lise?" No one ever called me Orchid. It was always Lise.

"Apples." I turned to him. "I can't get the rip ones at the very top. The branches get too flimsy. So I throw the knife."

"The branches get too flimsy to hold your weight maybe 40 feet before those apples!"

"Yeah?" This time I was actually confused. "I had a lot of practice."

I turned to Gale. "I'm sorry. You made me very angry, though. I wanted to show you that I'm not useless."

He looked at me with the same steel eyes as Katniss. "You're not useless." he said.

**And that is it! **

_That was so lovely I almost cried. _**  
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**Stop being sarcastic.**_  
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_Darn, how did you_ _know?_**  
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**Because I know all.  
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_Yeah right. Anyways, she doesn't remember what comes first, the prep team and interviews or the training, so..._ _HELP! __  
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**Yeah, it's true. I'll update my other stories soon, just had to get this out there. Review please, and if I get 3 reviews, Imogene will shut up in the next chapter!** **  
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_HEY!  
_


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